This invention relates to a novel absorbent article having a nonwoven fabric as a body-facing cover layer wherein at least a portion of the nonwoven fabric has a three dimensional thickness profile.
Nonwoven fabrics are commonly used as body-facing cover layers for disposable sanitary products. Such fabrics are generally relatively soft and conformable, capable of extended contact with external and internal body surfaces without causing chafing or allergenic reactions, and also capable of transmitting body fluids to a central absorbent element while maintaining skin dryness.
Because of the desire to provide disposable sanitary absorbent articles with body facing materials which are clean and dry, these products use synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester and the like. Conventional nonwoven fabrics are substantially planar webs, which provide good absorbency and low fluid retention. One problem with substantially planar webs is that fluid may easily run off the lateral edges of the product. One solution to this problem is to emboss channels into the product to create obstacles to fluid flow.
It is an object of this invention to provide an absorbent article that utilizes a non-woven fabric as a body-facing cover layer, wherein at least a portion of the non-woven fabric has a three-dimensional thickness profile.
In accordance with the present invention, there has been provided a novel absorbent article having a body-facing, liquid pervious cover layer formed from a nonwoven fabric, a garment facing, liquid impervious barrier layer, and an absorbent element between the cover layer and the barrier layer, wherein at least a portion of the cover layer exhibits a three dimensional thickness profile. The portion of the non-woven cover layer that exhibits a three-dimensional thickness profile has at least three distinct regions of varying thickness; a first raised region, a second semi-raised region and a third compressed region. The raised region forms a visible protrusion above and below the surface of the non-woven fabric and has a greater thickness and lower fiber density relative to the semi-raised region. The semi-raised region has a greater thickness and a lower fiber density relative to the highly densified compressed region.